Jack



1,4618%; J. A. KIMBALL JACK 'Filed July 2, 1921 2 Shets-Sheet 1 q/l. M'mba/L INVENTOR I WITNESS: ATTORNEY Sept 11 E923. 11,467,899

J. A. KEMBALL I JACK Filed July 2. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. INVENTOR w I j A, r l V t Patented Sept. 11, 1%23.

ludtifitt UNHTIEE STATES FATENT JOHN A. KIMBALL, TAYLORVILLE, ILLINOIS.

JACK.

Application filed July 2, 1921. Serial No. 482,103.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. KIMBALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taylorville, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has reference to that class of jacks employed in garages for elevating the rear ends of cars, for shifting the cars to desired places in the garage.

My primary object is to simplify and improve the existing art by producing a. wheeled shifting jack which can be adjusted for supporting the rear of a vehicle thereon with a minimum amount of physical exertion, and automatically sustained in such adjustment until the car is shifted to the desired position, said jack being also of a construction whereby the weight of the car will automatically bring the same to lowered position.

It is a still further object. to produce a wheeled shifting jack that includes an outer leg member and an inner leg member which is pivotally connected to the outer leg member, both of said legs having their lower ends provided with wheels or casters. and each of said legs having eonnectedjtherewith a lever, means being provided whereby one of the levers is adjustably connected to the other lever for sustaining the legs in a determined spread condition. the outer leg having adjustable thereon heads or supports for the differential housing or other part of the machine, a downward pressure upon the levers causing the legs to be swung toward each other to elevate the car or other object, and means is provided for locking the legs adjusted when pressure on the lever is released and it is desired to hold the car or object elevated. said means when brought to releasing position, and pressure on the lever is relieved, automatically spreading the legs to initial position and consequently automatically lowering the car.

The foregoing, and many other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative association of parts. such as is disclosed by the drawings which accompany and which form part of this specification. It may here be stated, however, that the showing of the drawings and the description refer only t a satisfactory embodiment of the improvement as it now appears to me, and that I am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4' is a sectional view on the line 4-4= of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional 66 of Figure 3. I

Figure 7 is a. sectional view on the line 7Z of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the engaging heads or supports.

Figure 9 is a similar view of another form of engaging head or support.

As disclosed by the drawings, .my improved jack includes a front tubular member in the nature of a leg 1. It is, of course, not necessary that the leg be hollow, as the same may be solid, if desired. The leg 1 is provided upon its outer face and on its opposed sides with series of spaced apertures 2 and 2 respectively. the side apertures 2 being arranged in staggered relation with respect to the front apertures 2. The leg 1 has a forked lower end 3,whose arms are formed with bearings for a shaft 4. The shaft 4- is held against longitudinal movement through the fork in any desired or preferred manner and has mounted on'its ends ground wheels 5.

Adjustably held on the sides of the front logl, through the medium of a removable pivot 6, that is passed through certain of the aligning side apertures 2, in the said leg 1, are the side members 7 of the rear leg 8. The rear ,leg may constitute a bifurcated member, and the sides 7 thereof at their lower ends are connected, as at 9, the said connection being in the nature of a head and has revolubly arranged upon the under face thereof the mounting 10 for a caster wheel 11. y

The numeral 12 indicates what I will term the operating lever-of my improvement. This lever is preferably in the nature of a tubular member, but has its outer end flan tened and provided with an opening which receives therethrough the shaft 4. 7 Suitable view on the line means 13 are arranged on the shaft in conthe guide during this" operation.

holding the latter against other than. a rotary movement on the shaft. The lever 12 passes between the side members of the rear leg 8, and has its outer portion, upon its upper face provided with a series of spaced.

apertures 14.

Pivotally secured, as at 13, above the element 9 of the rearlegs is a link 16. This link is arranged at an upward inclination in the direction of the operating lever 12, theoute'r end of the rod or lever 16 having pivotally secured thereto a sleeve 17 that is arranged for slidable movement onthe op;

erating lever 12. The sleeve 17, upon its upper face is provided with spaced ears 18 between which there is pivoted, as at 19 a dog 20: The dog comprises an angle body, the active end whereof being offset to form the same with a finger 21, the I opposite angle portion of the body providing'an operating handle 22. By swinging the dog upon its pivot, the active or finger end thereof may be brought into any one of the apertures 14 in the operating lever 12, and as a consequence a push or pull is exerted on the link 16 to swing the leg 7 to desired angles with respect to the leg 1, and consequently raiseor lower the said leg 1.

Onone' of the sides of the rear leg 8 there is secured the'offs'et ends of a guide bar 23. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 4; and received b'etweenthe guide 23 and the said sideof the leg is a rack bar 2 1 The'teeth of the' rack bar define straight shoulders and angle walls between said shoulders, the angle walls being directed toward the front leg 1. By such arrangement, it will be noted that when the rack bar is disposed upon thelower angle end. 25 of the guide 24: and a pressure is exerted on. the operating lever, the'link 16 will be influenced to exert a pressure against the inner or' rear leg 8, causing the same to be swung upon its pivotal connection with the front leg 1,

and as a consequence bring the wheeled ends of the said legs closer together, the rack bar ratcheting over the said portion 25 of When pressure upon the operating lever is released. the shouldered portions of the teeth, being in contact with the said'end 25 of the guide will prevent the spreading of the legs away from each other, but .when'the rack bar is removed from such engagement and supported. from a hook 25 that is securedto one side of the operating lever and pres sure on the operating bar is gradually re lieved, an object supportedfby the jack, in a manner which will presently be apparent, will be gradually lowered to self supporting position without danger of: inflicting injury thereto. I 1

As disclosed by the drawings, I make use of two supporting elements for the articles to be elevated and shifted by the jack. Both of these elements are in the nature of heads,

one ofthe elements is indicated by the nutain of a series of registering apertures 31 in the said arms of the shank, the said pivot resting against the inner face of the shank, and permitting the support to be sustained at an angle with respect to the leg 1. The under face of the portion of the head which I have referred to as the rest 28 is provided with a downwardly directed inwardly inclined finger 32, and this finger is adapted to bereceived in one of the front apertures 2 in the leg 1. is at all times sustained at an inclination upon the leg 1, it is not necessary to remove the pivot from the arms 29 to adj'ust the support on the leg, it being merely neces sary to tiltor cant the support in an opposite direction whereby the finger 32 will be brought out of the aperture 2. Qf course,'

when the pivot member between the arms 30 is so arranged between certain of the apertures which will hold the support almost at a right. angle with respect to the leg, the removal of the pivot will be required in the adjustment of the support on the leg,

As the support 27 The support 26 is bifurcated to provide parallel arms 34 that have spaced aligning apertures. .The forward end of the support 26 hasa single lip The support 26 is ad- 'j'ustably arranged on the leg 1 in a manner similar to the support above described. 2

It is believed that the foregoing description'; when taken in connection with the drawing will fnlly set forth the construction and advantages ofthe improvement to those skilled in theart to v which such inventions relate.) It will be apparent that by adjusting the rod or lever 16upon the operating lever 12 the legs land 8 may. be

spread at any desired angle with respect to each other, and consequently, the supporting heads may be brought beneath the desired portions of objects to be raised which are located close or far away from the floor su'rface. that the object can be elevated at a minimum amount of physi'c'al exertion and sustain'edat such elevation without necessitating the el nployment of the rack bar; that the elevated machine maybe shifted bythe j ack' immediately after the elevation thereof without bringing the rack bar to active positio'n; that the parts constituting the improvernent are simple, readily constructed and-easll'y assembled, and also that the'said parts may be folded together to provide a compact bundle when the device is not required for use.

Having described the invention, I claim 1-- 1. In a shifting jack, two wheeled legs one of a greater length than the other, ad-

elevating the support, and means between.

the legs for locking the same adjusted.

3. In a shifting jack, a leg having wheels at its lower end, a second and shorter leg having a revolubly mounted caster wheel at its lower end, means adjustably pivoting the shorter to the longer leg, means for swinging the shorter leg to bring the wheeled end thereof toward or away from the longer leg and to vertically adjust the supports on the last mentioned leg, means between the legs for latching the same so adjusted, and said latching means being releasable to permit of the weight deposited on the support influencing the legs to spread the same away from each other and to lower the support.

4-. In a shifting jack, a wheeled leg having its sides apertured, a second wheeled leg of a less length than the first mentioned leg, a pivot passing through the second mentioned leg and through one of the apertures in the first mentioned leg, an adjustable rest on the first mentioned leg, means for swinging the shorter leg on the longer leg to bring the legs together or to spread the same away from each other, whereby to elevate or lower the support on the longer leg, and means sustaining the legs so adjusted.

5. In a shifting j ack, two wheeled legs one of a greater length than the other, means adjustably pivoting the shorter leg to the longer leg, an apertured lever connected to the longer leg, a rod pivotally connected to the shorter leg, a sleeve on the first mentioned lever to which the rod is pivotally connected, and a dog on the sleeve designed to be swung to engage in the apertures of the lever for sustaining the rod adjusted with respect to the lever, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a shifting jack, two wheeled legs one of a greater length than the other, means adjustably pivoting the shorter leg to the longer leg, an apertured lever connected to the longer leg, a rod pivotally connected to the shorter leg, a sleeve on the first men tioned lever to which the rod is pivotally connected, and a dog on the sleeve designed to be swung to engage in the apertures of the lever for sustaining the rod adjusted with respect to the lever, a rack bar pivoted to the first mentioned leg, a guide therefor on the second mentioned leg with which the teeth of the rack bar are designed to engage for holding the legs in spread condi tion, the teeth of said rack bar being so arranged as to ratchet over the guide when the legs are moved toward each other.

7. In a shifting jack, two wheeled legs one of a greater length than the other, means adjustably pivoting the shorter leg to the longer leg. an apertured lever connected to the longer leg, a rod pivotally connected to the shorter leg, a sleeve on the first mentioned lever to which the rod is pivotally connected, and a dog on the sleeve designed to be swung to engage in the apertures of the lever for sustaining the rod adjusted with respect to the lever, a rack bar pivoted to the first mentioned leg, a guide therefor on the second mentioned leg with which the teeth of the rack bar are designed to engage for holding the legs in spread condition, the teeth of said rack bar being so arranged as to ratchet over the guide when the legs are moved toward each other, and means on the lever normally supporting the rack bar out of operative engagement with the guide.

In testimony whereof I ai'fix my signature.

JOHN A. KIMBALL. 

